The first section of the verse discusses the disbeliever, the unjust and the criminals. It is said, ““And when death comes to one of them, he says, “O my Lord! Send me back”. He wants to make amends by doing righteous deeds.

But he soon given a very composite reply that says, “.” No it is but a statement that he states. Behind them is purgatory, till the Day they are resurrected.” His words are not sincere and not from the heart but only from the tongue and he will repeat his sins even if he is given the chance to return.

The first part of the verse speaks about death and the last part speaks about purgatory.

Some people insist that purgatory here should be interpreted as some thing which has come between man and the elevated status in Paradise. But the words “Till the Day of Judgment” clarifies that purgatory is the stage after death and before the Day of Reckoning.

Some have taken purgatory to be an obstacle for return to this world and this interpretation too is not compatible with the words at the end of the verse that say that purgatory will exist till the Day of Judgment.

This verse clearly defines a world between this world and the hereafter.

The word “Waraa” is used for both ahead and behind since here it is used as “to hide”. If some one stands on one side of a wall then the other side is hidden to him and it will be called “Waraa’ (1)

Imam Jafar Sadiq has said:

“I fear about the purgatory for you.”(2)

The narrator asked him: “what is Barzaq?’

He said: “It is the grave for mankind till the Day of Judgment.”(3)

Imam Ali ibn is Hussein is repor6ted to have said:

“The grave is one of the gardens of Paradise and may one of the abysses of Hell.” (4)

The third verse clearly states:

“And do not say of those killed in the way of God, “They are dead” No they are living but you do not perceive.”

Both these verses are valid proofs of Purgatory (though the verse speaks only about the martyrs) because both the verses speak about the martyrs being alive and in a better world, closer to God and getting their sustenance from Him.

The words in both the above verse and in the later verses all speak of the life of the martyrs (being the true life). It is surprising that some commentators have resorted to explaining these verse literally e.g. that the name and signs of the martyrs live on, guidance, obedience and the eternal aspect of their religion or being alive in their graves on the Day of Judgment.

Do they not reflect that Qura’n declares that they are with their Lord and they are getting their sustenance? They are happy with the sustenance they get. They have no fear of the future and no sadness for the past.

God says:

“You cannot perceive their life. It would have been understandable for all had it been only the survival of name, signs, guidance and religion.

It seems that these commentators have not been able to digest the idea of purgatory.

 Fakhr Razi too says that most commentators believe that this refers to the real life, in his commentary. (5)

Tabrisi has however given four interpretations of this verse in Majmaul Bayan but has chosen the first one which speaks about the real life as the correct explanation. (6)

There are umpteen traditions about this and we will refer to them later Inshallah.

The other strange thing is that many commentators attribute this verse to be about the martyrs of Badr and say all the martyrs do not come under its purview. This has been recorded in Tafsir Al Mizan also.

We should pay heed to the fact that the commentators have attributed the first verse to be about the martyrs of Uhud and the martyrs of Badr for the second one. (7)

The history of the revelation does not limit the meaning of the verse and this verse includes all the martyrs.

Though this verse speaks about the martyrs in the way of God it does not deny those who are not martyrs. The question is, if the life of purgatory is for everyone then how are the martyrs prominent over others?

The answer to this question is very clear; their prominence is because of a special kind of life or their life with God and his realm of mercy for they are close to Him and eat from His table spread. The life of others does not have this specialty.

The fourth verse speaks about the people of the Pharaoh in purgatory and this it conveys a scene right opposite the first.

God in verse 45 of Surah Mumin says:

“While an evil torment encompassed the children of the Pharaoh.”

This torment has then been explained in this manner:

“They will be brought in front of the fire morning and evening, and on the Day when the Hour comes to pass. Throw the people of the Pharaoh into the severest of punishment.”

The fire in front which the children of the Pharaoh are brought morning and evening is that of purgatory.

It is because the end of the verse speaks about their punishment on the Day of Judgment.

The point to note is that the verse says about the children of the Pharaoh as “The people of the Pharaoh are made to stand before the fire every day morning and evening.” But then adds about the punishment on the Day of Judgment as “the order will be given to throw them to the severest torment.”

The difference between “Making them stand and throwing them into the torment” means that the fire is the fire of Hell. In purgatory they will feel the heat from a distance but on the Day of Judgment they will be brought close and thrown into it. The punishment in purgatory will be only in the morning and evening but will be continuous in the hereafter.

There is a tradition from the Last Messenger that conveys the same meaning. He is reported to have said:

“When any of you dies he is shown his place every morning and evening. If you are one among the residents of Paradise then it will Paradise but if you are one of those in Hell then it will be the fire and will be told “This will be your place when you are resurrected on the Day of Judgment. (8)

The traditions tell us that this problem is not limited just with the children of the Pharaoh but has a general effect.

 Will the people of Paradise and Hell be affected only by seeing their place or will they be affected by them? Will the Paradise or Hell have an impact on their physical existence just as a person is affected when he passes close to a fire or he is exhilarated when he passes by a fragrant garden with the breeze blowing gently across it or will be rewarded and punished by both methods?

The third question seems the most appropriate:

The point to note is that the verse literally says that the children of the Pharaoh will be presented before the fire but some commentators have said it means the opposite or the fire will be brought in front of them.

This is as we say “I brought the camel to the pool” or I gave him water. The tradition of the Last Messenger confirms this idea because it says: “They are shown their place in Paradise and Hell.”

The 6th verse speaks about the believer of the family of Ya-Sin (The great and faithful believer whose story is mentioned in Surah Ya-Sin. He stood up to help the apostles of Jesus in the city of Antakia and asked the people to follow them but the arrogant and rebellious people not only did not pay heed to him but they fell upon him and killed him.)

“And it was said, “Enter Paradise” and he said “I wish that my people knew that my Lord has forgiven me and has enrolled me among those held in high esteem”

It is clear that this Paradise is not the Paradise of the Judgment Day but that of purgatory. Since the believer of Ya-Sin desires that his people in the world should become aware of his fate and know that God has made him one of those that have been forgiven and that he has been admitted among the rewarded ones.

The late Tabrisi in Majmaul Bayan says: “This verse proves the rewards in the grave (purgatory) since he said this when his people were alive. So if we can imagine the rewards of the grave we can also imagine the punishments there.” (1)

Many a commentary has named that person as “Habib the carpenter” and in some traditions he has been called the Believer of the people of Ya-Sin (2) because he was a very honest and true believer. Some have said that the word “Al” is extra and means the believer of Ya-Sin. (3)

The 7th verse speaks about the condition of the sinners on the Day of Judgment.

““When the Hour arrives on that Day, the guilty will swear that they had tarried but an hour” and then adds:

“Thus they were used to being deluded.”

Though their place of stay has not been named in the verse but the next verse tells us that their place of interim stay was purgatory as God says:

“Those who have been endowed with knowledge and faith shall say: “Indeed you have stayed according to the decree of God till the Day of Resurrection, but you did not know.”

The verse tells us that they will stay till the Day of Judgment and this is possible only in purgatory.

Some senior commentators have also adopted this explanation that the verse points to the life in purgatory though some have said that this may mean the stay in this world which the sinners hardly count. Some cite the verse 46 of Surah Naziat for the time that will pass very quickly and it says:

“They will see the Day as if they had not tarried (in this world) except an afternoon, or a morning.”

But there is nothing in this verse to suggest a stay in this world but there is a suggestion of the stay being in purgatory.

The verse under discussion says that the end of the stay will be on the Day of Judgment. There can be no other explanation but purgatory when we take this in view.

The question is how will it be that they will not count the days that they have stayed in purgatory?

One single point dispels the doubt that arise from this question and that is the fervor of a person is aroused when he expects any good news and each moment seems like centuries to him. But on the other side if some one expects bad news then he wants the time to stand still; that the day should become months and this will be the condition of the sinners on the Day of Judgment. It is true that they will not escape punishment even in purgatory.

But what a difference there is between the punishment of purgatory and the Day of Judgment.

It is also suggested that the purgatory after the beginning of the punishment becomes a dream and this is why they will not be able to measure how long they had waited.

Since all the truth is not evident to a person in purgatory it is not surprising that this kind of thing is hidden from them but on the Day of Judgment everything will be revealed for it is the Day of Truth.

In the 7th verse the words of the disbelievers are recorded:

““They will say “Lord! You have made us die twice and have twice given us life. We have now recognized our sins; is there any way out for us?”

This is a proof about purgatory because the very idea of being made alive a second a time and then dying for a second time cannot be acceptable without purgatory. The death in this world then the life in purgatory and then its death and the resurrection in the hereafter.

Since in the end of the world the blowing of the trumpet will be the death knell for humans but all angels and souls who will be present in purgatory will die. It will be like verse 68 of Surah Zumar that says: “And the trumpet will be blown; and all who are in the heavens and all who are on earth will swoon.” No one except God will be alive on that day. This proves that there is death even after the life in purgatory.

The life of this world is separate because the verse speaks about lives after death and this worldly life is not after death.

Some people feel that the first death means the time when man has an earthly existence but had not entered the world. So the first life will be this worldly life while the second death will be at the end of this world and the second life will come on the Day of Judgment as described in verse 28 of Surah Baqarah:

“How can you disbelieve in God? You were dead and He gave you life. Then He will give you death, and then again will bring you back to life and then unto him will you return.”

Here the first death is correct but “give you death” is not. In other words man was dead when he was made of clay and not that God had killed him because killing can only be done when a person is already alive. There is no recourse but to interpret this verse as in purgatory though we will have to consider some meaning for the “killing” and that too is not possible without this premise.

Some have taken this verse to be about the station in the grave, the life which soon changes into death (This is also a temporary kind of life in purgatory)

What manner of life will we have in the grave? Is it physical or purgatorial specified to a special form of existence? Will it be semi-physical? The Ulema have different ideas about it and we will discuss them later Inshallah.

1. Mafuradat Raghib

2. Manazil Akhira page 161

3. Tafsir Burhan vol.3 page 120 Hadith 1 and 2

4. Tafsir Burhan vol. 3 page 120

5. Tafsir Kabeer vol.4 page 135

6. Tafsir Majmaul Bayan vol. 1-2 page 236

7. Some have said that the verse in Surah Al Imran is about the martyrs of Badr though the verse in Surah Baqarah is about the martyrs of Badr and Uhud.

8. Majmaul Bayan vol.7 and 8 page 421

9. Tafsir Majmaul Bayan vol.7 and 8 page 421

10. Tafsir Durre Manshur as quoted in Al Mizan vol.17 page 76

11. Tafsir Ruhul Jinan vol.9 page 27 ( Foot note by Allama Shi’rani)